The Flatlanders

On Tuesday night (April 9, 2013) we were again fortunate to see The Flatlanders (Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock) at the historic Horseshoe Tavern on Queen Street in Toronto, Ontario. We enjoyed them at Antone's in Austin back in February and decided there and then to see them again when they came to Toronto. Our excuse, a modest one, was Cindy's birthday. She and Pat were great fans of this music and had introduced us to the artists as individuals and as The Flatlanders. It was pay back time for Cindy and, I know, she was pleased to see and hear them.

We drove over to Toronto on a dreary wet afternoon, had dinner at the Peter Pan Bistro just down the street from the Horseshoe and returned home after the show not getting to bed until after 2:00am. The doors opened at 8:30 with Joe Pug fronting at 9:00 (he joined The Flatlanders for a couple of tunes near the end of their show) then The Flatlanders a little after 10:00 with their show ending around 12:00 (a far cry from the early show at Antone's). It was a long day but well worth the drive.

The photo is Joe Ely who is probably the more famous of the trio -- certainly the most prolific with an extensive catalogue of music to explore. While Butch Hancock is perhaps the most prolific writer of the three (they all write) and Jimmie Dale Gilmore has the signature voice I've come to appreciate even more the music that Joe Ely writes and performs. He sang a song I had not heard before, "Not That Much Has Changed" from his last album "Satisfied at Last" (2011), that brought me to tears. It's a sentimental story of returning to your home town where not that much has changed -- "the grass is a little drier, the trees are a little higher.... the drug store is still for sale, they still sell cotton by the bale." A simple story, with well worn lines but moving none the less. You could easily imagine a prodigal son returning to the small town of his child hood in the flat lands of the West Texas where nothing much has changed.. That's where it began -- West Texas and the fertile grounds of Lubbock where, by happy coincidence, a motley crew gathered in the early 1970's to found a new kind of country music.

They asked if anyone in the audience had ever been to Lubbock. While it was a fan filled house very few had ever been. They talked about their early years together in those dry lands where, as children, they had never seen a "stream" -- it's very dry and dusty out there in the flat lands. Dry lands, cotton by the bale? Well yes they grow cotton on the Texas flat lands. Some irrigate from deep wells, dry land farmers and pray for rain.

Sow the seed in the ground below
Fall to your knees and pray real slow
That rain will come and kiss the seed
And Bless you with all that you need

That's from another song which really moved me -- "All That You Need" from Joe Ely's 2003 album "Streets of Sin".

There were lots of songs from all of The Flatlanders that stick in my memory.  Of course they did their 'hits' like "Dallas From A DC-9", "Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown" and more from their  1972/1990 'debut' album "More a Legend Than A Band".  But some of their more recent tunes made an impression -- the why haven't I heard that before experience. Jimmie Dale Gilmore did the song "No Way I'll Never Need You" from The Flatlanders 2009 album "Hills and Valleys". That one is a love song with a jaunty Tex/Mex rhythm and has been quite an ear worm ever since. Butch Hancock sang "Thank God For The Road" from the same album. I have that album, I need to take the time to listen to it!

This show was a little different from the Antone's show. There was the same hot band with solid bass, drums and hot electric guitar. But there was also an opening act Joe Pug -- a three piece band from Chicago (via Austin, Texas). Joe Pug is a young buck who had an interesting story about touring in small town West Texas with Joe Ely. He was out and about getting breakfast, buying some beer, etc. in this very small town where everyone he bumps into keeps saying how they were looking forward to his show that night. After a while he starts thinking, hey there's something great going on here, everyone is keen about my music, I'm moving on up, etc. Then he sees his reflection in a store window to discover that he's wearing a Joe Ely T-shirt. Ah, now it makes sense -- everyone thinks I'm Joe Ely!

Another difference -- they came on later (no early to bed for the geezers from St Mary's) and played longer. They spent more time chatting with the audience -- explaining how they got together in Lubbock back in the early 1970's, how their first album was recorded in 1972 and only released in the UK some 10 years later then in the US another 10 years later. Their latest album, "The Odessa Tapes", was recorded way back then in Odessa (several hours away from Lubbock) and lost for years.

There was a time during the show where the band left the stage to leave the three to chat with the audience and played acoustic to swap songs like in those early days when they shared a home together. Stories were told of Butch dreaming a tune in which Jimmie sang; and how the dream had only revealed part of the song and so Butch had to go back to sleep and rewind the tape player to find the rest of the song.

In homage to the music heard on so many of their albums Butch played a bit of "jaw harp" to accompany his friends. The acoustic set was an intimate moment and a bit of relief from the "big band" sound.

It was a great show with an older and reverential audience who hung on every word of each song -- even the opening act held the audience in his hands. We were all there to hear these songs. To hear them again and to hear them anew. And the sound system and acoustics of the venue was perfect to showcase the music. It would have been a show worth recording -- "The Horseshoe Tapes".  But sometimes an experience is best recorded in your memories and a few photos.

We especially enjoyed how the three swapped tunes back and forth. They're equal voices who often trade off verses on a song and share the chorus. When a single voice carries a tune we're surprised to discover that the song is written by one of the others but seems tailor made for the voice who carries it. They play together and showcase one another with no egos in the way. There are no stars here.

We enjoyed all the tunes they played and are keen to research our music library (hats off to Pat and Cindy there) to hear them yet again.

To end the night they encored with Townes Van Zandt's "White Freightliner Blues" as they had at Antone's and as a second tune in the encore they played Terry Allen's "Gimme a Ride to Heaven Boy". Terry Allen, again it's Pat who introduced us to that weird duck, was apparently part of that motley crew from their Lubbock youth. I didn't recall that connection! The story in the song is a weird take on picking up Christ hitch hiking with twist on how "He" works in very mysterious ways. Terry Allen is another artist that I knew a little about but have come to realize that I ought to know more. And then of course there's Lloyd Maines -- another one of the Lubbock crowd who is so pervasive in this Texas music Pat showed us. And don't get me started on the Jo Carol Pierce connection! Lubbock, what a rich breeding ground for so many interesting artists.

We were told that The Flatlanders were to play Carnegie Hall NYC on the following evening. I wonder how music that works so well in this small venue will sound in a big hall. One certainly won't have the same intimate experience as in this small bar. While the sound experience of Carnegie Hall is renown it's not the Horseshoe Tavern.

The Horseshoe is 65 years old. A tenuous 65 years with some near death experience. But it survives and is in pretty good shape with a good sound system, nice acoustics and a respectful audience. We've seen some important music there over the years -- Jerry Jeff Walker, Eric Bogle and Robert Earl Keen come to mind.

It was a pleasure to return to the Horseshoe Tavern and a great privilege to see The Flatlanders again.

Home in St Mary's

We're back home in St Mary's after a month in Austin. Kate goes back to work tomorrow.

The photo at left was taken on our last day. We were biking along Town Lake and ran into this fellow. I thought the T-shirt was really funny. The stance some Americans take on race and immigration is not so funny.

We left Austin on Friday morning at the crack of dawn -- we were on the road at 6:00am. We drove all day Friday through Dallas, Texarkana, Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville and ended the day at 10:30pm in Elizabethtown just outside of Louisville KY. That's just over 1,000 miles (or 1,600km) in 16:30 hours. On Saturday we slept in a bit leaving at 10:00am and drove through Cincinnati, Detroit, crossing at Port Huron and arriving home at 7:00pm. The last 800km (or 500 miles) in 9:00 hours.

Road conditions were generally pretty good. We did see a bit of rain snow mix around Nashville and awoke Saturday to a bit of snow on the cars. We also skipped a Kinky Friedman concert we discovered on a bill board along the way -- a free concert on March 1 at Sulphur Springs TX. Kinky is touring in support of a new album Bi-Polar Tour: Live from Woodstock". That would have been interesting! We're big fans, especially of the song "Marilyn and Joe" which seems to make it's way onto most collections we make for friends.

Anyways, back to our drive home. Our intention had been to get to the Nashville area on the first day. We've been many times and know that we can get from Nashville to home in a day. Our intention was to stay at Bowling Green KY just an hour north of Nashville but we had to press on as the La Quinta Inn where we had hoped to stay was booked solid -- no room at the inn for these weary travellers.

We pressed on to the La Quinta in Elizabethtown because of the cats. The La Quinta Inns are pet friendly -- that's why we stay there. And why we'd recommend them to others travelling with pets.

The cats were pretty good travellers. They would whine and wander about for the first hour or so every day but after that would settle down and nap for the rest of the day. They seemed to get the hang of staying in hotels pretty quick.

We crossed at Port Huron rather than Detroit. It's not as busy and with the 402 connection it's easy to get home to St Marys. At the border the guard asked us how long we'd been away and how much we had purchased. He didn't even want to look at our passports or documentation for the cats. I should have bought a case of Rex-Goliath Pinot Noir! It was only $5.00 a bottle and I wouldn't have had to pay any duty! At Canadian immigration they're not as concerned about border security.

Finally, on the way home we listened to Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town which I had borrowed from the St Mary's Public Library (they lend MP3 books). It's a very depressing true story of how bad things can be in Texas. Race can be an issue (cf. "I only look illegal"). There are some things we do not like about Texas but so much more that we do. 

In any case adventures are over. We are all happy to be safely back home in our small town of St Mary's, Ontario, Canada. Not happy to be back in the land of snow and ice, but happy to be home.

Austin - Summary

Click image for more photos ...

Kate and I spent a month in Austin (February 2013). This photo album captures some of the adventures documented in my blog. Great city to visit.

Whiskey Sisters

 On Thursday night we had a couple of choices before heading to an early bed (our plans were to leave Austin on Friday morning at 6:00am so we weren't going to be up late). Our friends we met at the Rosie Flores gig had recommended some young fellows playing under the live oaks at Guero's Taco Bar but as it was a cool night we decided instead to see the Whiskey Sisters who were playing a happy hour gig at the Continental Club (on Congress just down the street from Guero's).

We have tried to get into the Continental Club one evening earlier in our stay but the power was out and the bar was not letting anyone in. That was a very windy day and I suppose tree branches, which were falling all over town, would have been the cause.

I had read a bit about the Whiskey Sisters in the local press. These "sisters" are Austin singers Teal Collins and Barbara Nesbitt who have solo careers but began playing together since last year's SXSW Festival. They had recently released an eponymous CD that was getting good reviews. The two women sing harmonies as well as playing acoustic guitar and sometime ukulele. The support band consisted of three fellows on electric guitar, electric bass, key board and drum kit. This was a free happy hour gig starting at 6:30 but the small venue was quickly filled with an appreciative audience who crowded the dance floor and clapped loudly, hootin' and hollerin' after each well received tune.

If I was to characterize their music I'd say they sounded a lot like the Dixie Chicks. The difference being that each of these Austin Chicks has a strong powerful voice of their own like that of Natalie Maines. We really enjoyed their music and the audience support. They're professional and with good tunes, strong vocals and a strong support band. As this was a "free" gig they passed the tip jar around and it was quickly filled. They had fans, loyal fans.

I would complain a bit about the acoustics in the Continental Club. The band seemed to have everything turned up loud -- as if everyone had the volume on their amps turned up to 11 (on a scale of 10). This made things a bit hard to make out. With an appreciative audience they could have turned the sound down a bit -- people were there to listen. Their CD (or buy it on iTunes) has, as you would expect, a better mix. I enjoyed them and would not hesitate to recommend them.

Drinks at the happy hour were really cheap -- $6.50 for two margaritas (drinks were $1.00 more after happy hour which still is very cheap). But they weren't the best by any means. Guero's makes far better margaritas but then you spend more there. But for an early evening's entertainment -- the Continental Club is well worth a visit. We've been there several times over the years and have seen some great acts.

One caution -- the Continental Club is a tiny and seedy hole in the wall kind of bar. It's small but does have several rows of tall chairs with tall cocktail tables. But most folks were there as "standing room only". There's lots of entertainment all night long, even during the afternoon on weekends. But it certainly ain't no "ferny bar". It's an Austin institution.

Dropkick Murphys

 Today is our last full day in Austin ... we'll be busy getting ready for the trek home but do hope to catch a last act at Guero's under the live oaks tonight.

Last night we had dinner and saw (from a distance at least) several bands headlined by the Dropkick Murphy's at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in the Red River Road area of the downtown entertainment area .. just up the street from Esther's Follies. That was another great adventure I ought to record.

The picture above is the Revilers who opened the show shortly after 7:00 in the huge outdoor amphitheatre behind the restaurant. We quite enjoyed them -- their sound was somewhere between Motorhead and DOA. Loud, fast head banger punk. They're from Massachusetts like the Dropkick Murphys and describe their music as Hardcore / Punk / Rock. As you can see I was able to get up close to the front and snapped a few pictures with Kate's pocket camera.

Cameras and concerts! I've got a gripe. This has happened a few times lately and happened again last night. I have a Canon T4i with a battery pack. It's black, it's an SLR, it's a nice camera but not a professional camera and I don't pretend to be anything other than an amateur taking pictures for personal enjoyment. I arrive at a concert and they tell me I can't bring in "that camera". Oh yes everyone can bring in iPhones, pocket cameras, etc. but you can't bring in "that camera" -- it's an SLR. What's the deal there anyways?

Kate and I had a vegan lunch in East Austin at Counter Culture (tofu "eggs", cashew "cheese", nothing but veggies) so a bit of Bar-B-Q at Stubb's was my reward. Slow cooked BBQ dry rub pork ribs, falling of the bone, with pinto beans, mashed potatoes and white gravy. Mmmm ... ain't that Texas cooking something!

Kate toughed that out by ordering some vegetarian sides. She's not as keen on Texas cooking but is willing to indulge my weakness.

Back to the concert. We were aware that this was going to be an outside standing room only event and were hoping for good weather as they have a "rain or shine" policy -- the show goes on no matter what! The weather has been a little cooler the last few days so we bundled up accordingly. The other issue was finding a place for Kate to sit -- with her bad knees she can't stand for very long. We had read that they were sympathetic and would accommodate anyone with disabilities. You weren't allowed to bring a chair or stool; they'd provide a place to sit. At arrival, we got there promptly at 6:30 as the doors opened, I asked for help and we were given a folding chair at the very back of the area. They told me we couldn't take the chair elsewhere as apparently they could be used as weapons (sic!) in a rowdy crowd. Those with disabilities aren't accommodated very well to my mind.

We declined the offer and ended up instead sitting on a short wall near the entrance in about the middle of the outdoor area and met a lovely young couple from Fort Hood who had driven down for the event. Fort Hood is about 1:30 hours north on the IH-35. She was about 7 months pregnant and had seen the Dropkick Murphys in San Antonio recently -- pre-pregnancy we assume because she told us how she ended up black and blue in the mosh pit. Her husband is a big fan of the Dropkick Murphys (and hockey which seems to be an integral part of being a fan) and this event was a treat especially for him.

As the evening progressed the placed filled up to standing room only -- standing only in the sense that you couldn't move one step in any direction. It was really packed. Those at the front of the stage seemed to have a great time -- fists pumping, body surfing, singing along with band members who jumped into the audience. From a distance it looked like quite a great time was being had by all who could participate. But there were a couple of thousand there and for those who weren't at the front the music was muddy and the words impossible to make out.

We are fans of Celtic punk -- the Pogues, Flogging Molly, the Mahones, the Dropkick Murphys and more. However, Celtic punk should be more than Irish tunes played at break neck speed by amphetamine fired banshees tearing around the stage. There should be an occasional subtlety and tunes should be more than bellowed slogans. There's never been a band yet that can match the Pogues, there wasn't one last night. We ducked out early to catch a cab home (before the several thousand were let loose on the streets).

The middle act was Old Man Markley from LA was a bit of an exception.  They're a Celtic punk band as well and we liked them very much -- I bought their latest CD. They're a large group of players including two young women -- one on violin and the other on autoharp. The violin adds a distinctive sound, the autoharp adds very little. The women's voices modulated the music down from the tired bellowing of head banger punk. Yet they played loud and fast with a great stand up bass beat. Like the other acts members were always careening around the stage. I find it hard to imagine that one can sustain that energy very long. And sometimes it becomes a bit of a parody of itself.

It was an interesting evening of punk and Celtic punk music. I'd have rather seen all the acts focus a bit more on their music and a little less on the theatrics for the mosh pit.

The Flatlanders

Our good fortunes continue with an evening at Antone's with the Flatlanders! As pictured -- Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock. Accompanied by electric bass, drums and electric guitar (mandolin, etc.).

We had missed Joe Ely when he played Gruene Hall earlier in the month -- we had just got into town and weren't willing to drive the hour or so down the IH-35 after driving three days from Ontario to get here. We were therefore really surprised to open the Austin Chronicle on Thursday to see that the Flatlanders -- the whole gang not just Joe Ely -- were playing a benefit on Sunday for a Lubbock friend who had lost his home to a fire recently. In the Chronicle we read:

Academy Awards night two years ago at the Moody strutted Diana Ross. Lubbock’s Three Musketeers aren’t quite as showboat, but musically they’re every bit as Austintatious. Last month at the Paramount, Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Butch Hancock enthralled a full house with timeless Texicana. That the trio’s songcraft could fit comfortably anytime in the past half-century should make every local bow down and kiss the ground that we all live in the here and now. – Raoul Hernandez

We have been fans for years having been introduced by our friends Pat and Cindy around 1990. Pat rightly recognised their place as founding fathers of Americana -- although back then the label wasn't used much if at all and the band had been ignored for decades as a bit of quirky Lubbock madness. Nowadays people "kiss the ground" -- Pat would have if he were here. Pat introduced us to the Flatlanders through Joe Ely: "You'll like this guy, he toured with the Clash". And sure enough we did.

The Flatlanders have a "new" CD/DVD out. The Odessa Tapes were recorded in January 1972 (sic!) by what would have been a bunch of kids. They played together as the Flatlanders 1972-73 and then went their separate ways. The Odessa tapes were recently discovered and have been remastered. Their "debut" album came out in 1991 when Rounder Records issued More a Legend Than a Band (again from 1972 recording sessions) -- that would have been the album Pat introduced to to us. With the success of that album they tour sporadically as the Flatlanders. Each player has had some modest success on their own. Joe Ely in particular does well as a solo performer. Jimmie Dale and Butch are better recognised as writers whom Joe Ely has popularised but they both are great performers as well. Butch and Jimmie Dale are usually acoustic solo acts, Joe often plays electric with a band -- hence the Clash connection.

One time, years ago, when we came to Austin we called up Butch to see what acts he'd recommend! At the time he had a gallery in town and was kind enough to take our call and recommend some acts we ought to see. Kate recalls he recommended Will Sexton who we have seen. I had heard that he'd moved from the city to Terlingua in the Big Bend country and no longer lives in the city.

We bought our tickets on line (at $12 each they were very reasonable) on Thursday as soon as we saw they were playing. We weren't going to miss this one. We had been to Antone's years ago when it was up near the university but had not been to the downtown location. Antone's is famous as a blues bar but I see it also has current punkers of various sorts. We were worried about seating -- often these places are standing room only with no seating of any sort. And you don't want to be stuck in the back row where you can't see or hear very well.

There were a few "tables" as well as general admission tickets but all the tables were sold. We weren't sure what to expect so arrived early with Kate's stool to make sure we had a place for her to sit and could claim a place near the stage. Other folks were wise and brought lawn chairs! For an inside event! Keeping Austin Weird.

There were only a very few in line including some folks we met holidaying from Oregon. So we got in early and found a good place to park ourselves. As you can see from the photo we got a good location -- we ended up at a table at stage right with the friends we met from Oregon. The two guys who had paid for the table were happy to share with us and we're grateful for their generosity. Our friends from Oregon got the two chairs, Kate had her stool, I stood and sat on the floor. Mostly the venue is a standing room only "barn" that can hold some 350 people but of the 350 we got the better spots.

The Flatlanders took to the stage promptly at 7:00 and played a lengthy set of familiar classics like "Dallas from a DC9" and "If You Were a Bluebird" to an enthusiastic audience with an encore of "White Freightliner Blues" by Townes van Zandt. As the band exited the stage I got to shake hands with Joe, Jimmie Dale and Butch and congratulated them on a great performance.

We loved every minute of it. So much so that we've bought tickets to see them again in April at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto with Cindy! And the other great thing about this event? We were home by 8:30! There were several acts to follow but we "kissed the ground" and returned home well pleased with the day's adventures.

Recommendation -- if you ever get a chance to see the Flatlanders, do it.

PS. Kate tells me Billy Joe Shaver and Ray Wylie Hubbard are playing a free event at Antone's on Friday, March 8. She's trying to extend this holiday another week.... So many bars, so little time.

MapJam

Saturday was a lovely warm and sunny day in Austin. The perfect day to bicycle over to East Austin and take in some free gigs at the KUTX sponsored MapJam 2013 -- KUTX is the University of Texas FM radio station. East Austin is the new SoCo in as much as property there is still affordable and would attract a university/student crowd.

There were 9 events scheduled at various spots on the other side of the IH-35 (why is it the IH-35 in Texas and the I-35 in every other state?). We couldn't catch all the acts so had picked out a few. Even then we skipped out on some we really wanted to see -- like Los Pinkys (conjunto) and Residual Kid (pre-teen punk!). There were lots of interesting musical forms to explore.

The photo above is the band Mother Falcon playing at Tillery Park. This was the farthest bike ride -- it took us about 45 minutes to bike home from their gig. The park was pretty tiny and full of fans. I was able to get up close to take a few pictures. As you can tell this ain't no honky tonk band. There are quite a few in the group with an interesting mix of instruments. Here you see a couple on cellos with a fellow behind on accordion. I liked their music a lot. They reminded me a bit of the Montreal band Arcade Fire who have had some popular success. I see from the band's web site that they're trying to raise money to record a second EP that they can tour and promote. Best of luck to them.

The Tillery Park location is a bit of an oddity. It's just a largish narrow city lot fenced off with a few garden center stores. The stage area was set up at one end of the park and lots of folks sat on the ground which was covered in cedar mulch to enjoy the sound. The music was quite good at the front of the stage. Behind those on the ground was the standing room only group and behind them Kate had laid claim to a bench near the single beer vendor and the two johnny-on-the-spot crappers. Far too few of both for a crowd of that size. Kate couldn't catch much of what was happening so we left early in the set.

Earlier in the day we caught Wood & Wire at the Hops & Grain Craft Brewery. They're a very good blue grass group who played from a loading dock at the brewery to a large and appreciative audience. This was a standing room event in the large parking lot. Kate found a place to sit at the edge of the lot on a bit of grass with some shade. By the end of the day it was obvious that we had had too much sun. We both glowed, nobody chundered.

The Brewery sold beer through a ticketing system but as there were only two guys selling tickets and another two serving from the sampling bar you can guess the result. There was a very long line out the door for people buying tickets and then an even longer line of people out the door waiting to get into the sampling room to cash their tickets. As Kate and I had arrived early we did get to sample some very good beers. One was a dark and hoppy IPA, the other was an equally dark beer aged in Chardonnay oak casks. The oak finish was quite pronounced. Unusual but enjoyable. The tickets that remained I gave to some fellows who were staying. We headed off to the Tillery Park event.

The final event we saw was early in the evening. The MapJam events continued all day but we skipped out. We were home for much of the afternoon to let the cats out and to have a of nap to prepare for the evening.  Some friends we met described the nap you take so you can stay up later as a "Rock 'n Roll" nap. At our age we don't stay up late. However, we do get up early.

In any case, the final event was Rosie Flores & the Riveters at the Scoot Inn where we had seen Susan Torres earlier in the month. As this was an after sunset event we drove over and parked nearby. I think I've described the Scoot Inn before. Suffice to say it's a tiny seedy bar in a seedy neighborhood with far too little by way of street lights. The event was outside the bar where there's a stage, concrete pad and a bit of turf with picnic tables. Lots of space that would hold several hundreds of people. We claimed a spot at a picnic table where we met our friends who coined the term "Rock 'n Roll" nap. We talked about places we should see and covered much common ground -- e.g. they recommended the Strange Brew venue which we liked as well. They both lived near us in South Austin.

Rosie Flores is yet another character that Pat had recommended to us. She's our age and seems to be friends with the usual folk we like -- Billy Joe Shaver, etc. She plays a rocking electric guitar in a three piece band. Her music is a blend of rockabilly, country and more. We would have liked to have caught her act.

Unfortunately the concrete pad in front of the stage and between us and the stage quickly filled up with a standing room only crowd. If you were within the first few rows, and able to stand, you would have caught a dynamite act. Worse yet than the obscured view was all the people around us who seem to have come to talk/yell at one another at a volume where they could compete with Rosie. I really wish that those who have no interest in the performer would go elsewhere, or at least go to the back areas farthest from the stage to talk. They spoiled the event for us. We ought to have brought Kate's stool and claimed a space near the stage as we did for the Flatlanders at Antones.

One reason why we and our new friends recommend Strange Brew is the attentive audience. You go there to listen to music not to yell at one another.